Dr David Wilcockson

PhD

Administrative roles

Senior tutor AU Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body Committee Member AU University Appeals Panel member

Media activity

• 'The Tidal Clock Keeping Marine Life Safe' - Interview by The Naked Scientists (1st Oct. 2013)
• BBSRC Press Release on tidal clocks Current Biology paper - September 2013
• BBC News coverage of tidal clocks paper - September 2013
• Marching to the Beat of Two Different Drummers, Science News - September 2013
• Biological clocks defy circadian rhythms, Nature News - September 2013
• BBC4 Science/Nature documentary, "The Secret Life of Rockpools'

Module Coordinator

• BR23820 - Tropical Zoology Field Course
• BR25420 - Advances in Invertebrate Zoology
• BR22410 - Advances in Invertebrate Zoology

Lecturer

• BR15720 - Wildlife Forensics
• BR22620 - Marine Biology
• BR25420 - Advances in Invertebrate Zoology
• BR33220 - Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture
• BR22020 - Freshwater Biology
• BR23820 - Tropical Zoology Field Course
• BR31510 - Behavioural Neurobiology
• BR22410 - Advances in Invertebrate Zoology

Biological clocks in marine organisms

My research group Aquatic, Behavioural & Evolutionary Biology (ABEB) is investigating the molecular and biochemical basis of biological 'clocks' in organisms that exhibit circatidal (~12.4 hour) and circadian (~24 hour) rhythms and time-compensated navigation in marine intertidal animals. Using a variety of contemporary molecular technologies I am identifying the cellular, genetic and protein components of clocks in a marine isopod crustacean, Eurydice pulchra. This work is funded by the BBSRC in collaboration with the University of Leicester (Professor Bambos Kyriacou-Lead PI, and Dr Lin Zhang), Bangor University (Professor Simon Webster) and Cambridge LMB (Dr Mick Hastings, FRS). Work funded by the NERC is focused in defining the molecular and cellular control of navigational behavior in the beach amphipod Talitrus saltator.

Crustacean Endocrinology

I am interested in the endocrine control of growth, moulting and metabolism in crustaceans. Recently (in collaboration with [Professor Simon Webster][4], Bangor University) we identified the genes that encode orthologues of the insect cuticle tanning hormone bursicon in the green shore crab Carcinus maenas and described their expression through the moult cycle. We are now working to fully characterise the function of crab bursicon and describe the endocrine cascades that govern cuticle development, moulting and cuticle hardening in arthropods. This work was funded by the BBSRC.